The Gift
by Naasad
Summary: Before he left with his family, he gave her a gift. OutlawQueen AU one-shot collection
1. The Gift

She remembered his last night in Storybrooke most clearly – because he'd spent it with her. She remembered his arms around her, his earthen scent, and his voice whispering her name over and over again. In less than twenty-four hours, they were both bound and sundered.

He had left a part of himself with her.

" _I may have to leave you," he murmured between kisses, "but that doesn't mean I have to leave you alone."_

" _What's that supposed to mean?" she gasped, breathless._

 _He paused, eyes wise and sad and joyful all at once. "Well, with a little luck and a lot of belief, you'll understand soon enough."_

She did understand now, looking down at his gift in the starch-white of the hospital.

"What's her name?" the nurse asked.

Regina shook her head in wonder at the creature in her arms: part witch, part thief; part dark magic, part rugged charm; the daughter of a woman named to become royalty and an archer named after a bird. She stroked her child's silky, dark hair as she turned the name over and over in her mind, making sure it was absolutely right.

"Raven. Her name is Raven."

…oOo…

 _ **A/N: I might end up writing a series of one-shots or of full-length fics about Raven sometime in the future, but right now I'm focused on my Pan/OC WIP. Let me know what you think!**_

 _ **Review, but please don't be pointlessly rude.**_

 _ **Namarië!**_

 _ **~River**_


	2. Heart Mommies and Tummy Mommies

_**A/N: Alright, I lied, I am now working on two projects simultaneously. Here's the next one-shot. Read, enjoy, and review!**_

…oOo…

Raven adored her older brother. Her first word was a rather garbled form of "Enny", and she dutifully followed him everywhere he went, copying him in every way possible. So it stood to reason that, eventually, she would end up calling Emma "mom".

That being said, Regina was not ready for it, as evidenced by the shards of dishes on the kitchen floor.

"Oh, I'm not your mom," Emma hastily said.

"But you're brother's mom," came the three-year-old logic.

Regina cleared her throat and crouched beside her daughter. "Henry was adopted, sweetie. I'm his heart mommy, and Miss Swan is his tummy mommy. But you weren't adopted, so I'm your heart mommy _and_ your tummy mommy. Does that make sense?"

Raven thought for a moment before nodding, then she turned suspicious eyes on Emma. "Then who are you, since you're not my mommy?"

"Well, technically, I'm your…." Emma trailed off, lost in the convoluted family tree.

After several moments of awkward silence, Regina reluctantly offered a solution. "Auntie. She's your Auntie Emma."

Raven nodded and scampered off, satisfied.

"Thank you," Emma said. "You didn't have to do that."

Regina turned to the broom closet. "Believe me, I know."

…oOo…

 _ **To the guest reviewer who was so kind to leave a flame:**_

 _ **With all due respect, if you want the baby to be named Hope, write your own damn fanfiction. HOPEfully, you'll decide you like doing that better than maliciously opinionated nitpicking. Feel free to continue this conversation if you wish, but do be aware that as long as you review as a guest, my only option for replying is**_ _ **publicly**_ _ **through my Author's Notes.**_

 _ **Sincerely,  
River**_


	3. Robin's Eyes

A/N: To all my lovely readers, I would like you to be aware that I am currently being stalked by a recurring flamer (read: cyberbully). I'm not actually sure if you can, but IF you can, please do not engage them in their foolish and mean-spirited pursuits. Thank you.

Now, please enjoy this next drabble!

…oOo…

Regina sighed as the baby started crying again. Some nights, she just wished that she could roll over and go back to sleep. She sighed again and got up, lifting Raven out of the bassinet. "Shh, shh…. Mommy's here. Yeah," she cooed as the cries trailed off, "mommy's here. Mommy's got it all under control. You're okay."

She sighed and leaned back on her bed, cradling her daughter as she fed her. She smiled and stroked her hair.

The child looked up with wise eyes as it suckled.

Robin's eyes.

Regina's smile fell as she noticed, and she bowed her head as the tears fell.

Raven, picking up her mother's mood, began to cry again.

"Oh, shh, it's okay," Regina murmured. "We'll be okay. We have eachother. And one day, we'll see your daddy again. I believe it."

…oOo…

A/N: These drabbles are not in chronological order, sorry about that.

I've decided that I'll continue writing these, building up the character's background, until I'm finished with my Pan fic. Then I'll get started on the full-length fic I have planned.

The working summary:

Raven is the daughter of Robin Hood and the Evil Queen. She never knew her father. But one night, a stranger comes to town, claiming that he is her older brother and needs her help to find their father. And as she drags along her brother, Henry, thus is the start of a grand adventure.

As I said, WIP. :)

Guest2: Thank you for the feedback! At first, I was confused when I read your review, but then I realized you were talking about canon. :) I'm watching the series through NetFlix, and I'm only on the last episode of Season 3, though I caught the episode where Robin leaves at a hotel.

Thank you for reading! Please review!

Namarië!

~River


	4. Painting Daddy

_**A/N: In this one, Raven is about 12 or 13. Something about the way the character flows in my head just pegged her as an artist – and a very good one. If I get any technical terms wrong in this or future chapters, let me know. :)**_

…oOo…

Raven sighed as she stared at the blank canvas.

"Having trouble?" Regina asked, coming up behind her daughter.

Raven nodded. "I can't get what's on my mind into the painting."

Regina glanced at the easel. "It doesn't even look like you've started."

"I'm a planner, Mama. I plan, first." Raven's frustration bled into her voice.

Regina sighed and sat down. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"You won't be mad?"

"Of course not."

Raven sat down next to her mother and just cuddled for a moment. "Daddy," she finally said.

Regina was startled. "What about him?"

Raven shrugged. "I don't know. I just know that everyone else has one, and I don't."

Regina nodded slowly, staring off into space as she contemplated what to say next. "Your father and I have a complicated relationship," she finally decided.

Raven jumped up, ecstatic. "He's still alive?"

"Yes," Regina said. "But he left Storybrooke to save the woman he loved."

"That's you! Come on, Mama, tell me! What type of curse were you under? I'll draw him saving you!"

Regina shook her head. "It wasn't me, sweetie."

Raven froze, confusion written all over her face. "But… when two people love eachother very much, they have a baby. That's me."

Regina chuckled. "Yes. And he loved me, too." She blinked back the tears with an ease that only comes with practice.

"I don't understand."

Regina sighed. "I told you, it's complicated." She got up to leave, and was about to the door, when she turned back. "Draw him leaving, Raven. Draw him looking over his shoulder with regret, but walking forward with purpose. Your father had honor. He couldn't leave anyone to die, or to struggle alone in a confusing world. No matter how much it pained him."

Raven smiled sadly and embraced her mother. "I will, Mama. I love you."

…oOo…

 _ **TheEvilRose: Haha, thank you! It's nice to hear that.**_

 _ **Thank you, too, to pt159, who reviewed via PM.**_

 _ **~River**_

 _ **Add., I was absolutely sure I had posted this before Robin's Eyes, but apparently not. Weird…. Ah, well, at least it allowed me to make an edit I had missed. So sorry to the reviewers who didn't get responses in the last chapter.**_


	5. A Place in Your Soul

Raven smoothed down her hair in the mirror as she waited – a nervous habit she'd picked up from her mother.

"Raven Mills?"

Raven jumped as her name was called and quickly grabbed her backpack, hurrying down the hall. "Hi, Doctor Hopper," she said shyly.

The man grinned and cleared a spot on the couch for her, taking his customary armchair for himself. "Good afternoon, Princess. How was school?"

Raven wrinkled her nose in distaste at the title. "It was good, it was fine. Finals are soon."

Archie chuckled. "I remember. Or, at least, I have memories."

Raven nodded. "I wanted to ask you some questions. Some questions about my dad?"

Archie's face fell. "Oh, Raven… Do you know what doctor-patient confidentiality is?"

"I think I have the basic idea…."

"It means that if someone tells me something while I'm working, I have to keep it a secret. I'm sorry. I can't tell you who your dad is."

Raven shook her head. "I've tried everyone else. Mom made them all take a blood oath or something never to tell me. Can you at least say what he looked like?"

"Well…," Archie leaned back and examined Raven's face, "I'm not usually good at – at physical descriptions, but I think you look a lot like him. It has been some time, though."

Raven sighed. "Everyone says I look like my mom."

"Well, that's because you have her hair. Your dad's was lighter, I remember that much. And I think he had a beard."

Raven nodded slowly.

"You know what?" Archie asked gently. "You'll always have a part of him with you. From what I understand, he knew about you, or at least hoped for you. He loves you, Raven. He's made a home in your soul, and he will never leave."

Raven stood still for a moment, then hugged Archie tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

…oOo…

 _ **A/N: Only four more chapters to go on my Pan fic! I already have a pretty decent idea of how the one based in this AU will start, too.**_

 _ **Please review! Tell me what you thought, just don't be malicious or pointlessly rude. If you see something wrong, say why and how it's wrong, and suggest how to make it better, please.**_

 _ **Queen of Erebor: Cedi le Sindarin? Cedim i-penneth. Melim Sindarin lammen! Hanna im len an anneth nin len noeth. Thel-ha mae enni.**_

 _ **Belovedbrat: Thank you! I do hope you continue to enjoy it. :)**_

 _ **Thank you, too, to HarleQueen21, who reviewed via PM.**_

 _ **Namarië!**_

 _ **~River**_


	6. Painting Magic

Raven frowned as she worked. Moving her brush up and down the canvas, blending and layering colors to bring out what was in her head.

"What is it?" Regina asked.

Raven at first didn't answer, she was so totally focused on her work, then she realized her mother was speaking to her. "I don't know. I'm trying to paint hope – the concept, the idea."

Regina smiled. "Well, there's an obvious answer here."

Raven snorted. "Magic is for fighting the bad guys, mom, not for art."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Try."

Raven sighed and set aside her tools, closing her eyes.

"Concentrate on what you are feeling. Then imagine moving it from your mind, through the air, onto the… sheet."

"Canvas," Raven muttered. A few seconds later, she looked up to find something indescribably beautiful, with utter depth. "I don't even know what to call this color," she chuckled, pointing to one corner.

Regina smiled. "You have a natural affinity for magic, sweetheart. You shouldn't rely on it for everything, but you should learn what it's capable of. What you're capable of."

Raven nodded slowly. "Thanks, mom."

…oOo…

 _ **A/N: This one's a little weird. I kind of just wanted to show that Raven is learning magic from Regina, and she's still painting.**_

 _ **Raven is about 17, here.**_

 _ **Updates from now on will be quite erratic. I just started a job yesterday, and I work swing shift – from 1530 to 0000.**_

 _ **I got another review about the whole Hope vs Raven name. If you something to say about that –**_ _ **don't**_ _ **. With all due respect, Raven is**_ _ **my**_ _ **OC.**_ _ **I**_ _ **own her, not you. That means**_ _ **I**_ _ **decide her name, her looks, and everything else about her.**_ _ **Not you.**_ _ **If you want to complain about something, complain about something that's actually wrong, not just something different that you don't like. Thank you.**_

 _ **(And, really, you know who you are, telling me that you've unfollowed my story on the first chapter is complete and utter BS, because in order to unfollow, you'd have to follow first.)**_

 _ **Please review – just don't flame or complain about something irrelevant.**_

 _ **Namarië!**_

 _ **~River**_


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